Nick Novak and Climbus win the $25,000 Welcome Stake at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival Week IV. (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Traverse City, Mich. - Nick Novak finally overcame his five-year drought on Friday afternoon at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF). For years, he has fallen just shy of the victory, taking the backseat to the winner's circle. During Week IV of GLEF, the drought came to an end for Novak, and as the old saying goes, "when it rains, it pours." Novak...

Traverse City, Mich. - July 22, 2016 - Amanda Derbyshire and Lady Maria BH celebrated their one-year partnership with a victory in the $25,000 Devoucoux Welcome Stake at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) Week Three. The grey mare rose to the occasion, out jumping 32 contenders for the lion's share of the prize, tripping the timers in 33.649 seconds. Amanda Derbyshire and Lady Maria BH win the $25,000 Devoucoux Welcome Stake at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. ©Kendall...

Dana Wille and Mach 5 win the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers during the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival Week III. (Kendall Bierer/PhelpsSports.com) Traverse City, Mich. - The grey gelding, Mach 5, lived up to his name on Thursday afternoon as rider Dana Wille led the way during the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF). Wille imported the Dutch Warmblood from Germany two years prior, expecting that he would max out at the 1.20m-level; however, as...

Gavin Moylan and Pernod on their way to a $30,000 HITS Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Culpeper, Va. - As the curtain closed on Showday National at HITS Culpeper on Sunday, riders returned to the Grand Prix ring to contend for the top prize in the $30,000 HITS Grand Prix. Hot off a win in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, Gavin Moylan returned to the jumper ring and topped the Grand Prix field to stake claims on the blue ribbon once again. The Middleburg, Virginia, equestrian’s victory...

Maya Nayyar and Connaro (Lauren Baker/Phelps Media Group) Devon, Pa. - As the 2016 U.S. Junior Hunter National Championship East Coast kicked off at the Devon Horse Show grounds during the Brandywine Horse Shows, 76 of the nation's best equitation riders gathered to vie for the top honors in the prestigious USHJA Hunterdon Cup, and it was Maya Nayyar who went wire to wire to bring home the blue ribbon. The large starting field was whittled down as they competed over Skip Bailey's...

Competitors like Faith Green and her Quarter Horse Dusters Legacy were awash with ribbons at the 2016 National Dressage Pony Cup. (John Borys) “I’m so happy we decided to make the trip, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with my pony. This has been so much fun!” These words were heard from juniors to elder adults ranging in experience from dressage newcomers to hardworking amateurs and international High Performance professionals who gathered at the National Dressage Pony...

Reagan Upton and Oh Night Divine (Howard Schatzberg) Lexington, Ky. - A field of 19 competitors, the largest field in the class' history, vying for the 2016 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final title kicked off the evening session at the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show on Wednesday, July 6. Following the competitive field's display of equitation skills, 27-year-old Reagan Upton was named the unanimous 2016 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final Champion. Upton...

Cassandra Kahle and Wall Street wrapped up the Swan Lake Horse Shows Summer Kick Off Classic with a win in the $25,000 Kick Off Classic Grand Prix. (Taylor Renner/Phelps Media Group) Littlestown, Pa. - The Swan Lake Horse Shows Summer Kick Off Classic concluded on Saturday with the week's highlight event: the $25,000 Kick Off Classic Grand Prix. Cassandra Kahle of Redfield Farm has had a stellar week at Swan Lake Stables thus far, winning the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby and $5,000 1....

Skyhawk and Alexis Taylor Silvernale (McCool) San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - The $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby kicked off a grand Saturday morning at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano. After topping the first round, Alexis Taylor Silvernale and Skyhawk, owned by Aleron, LLC, continued to impress both judging panels in the Handy Round for the win in a challenging class. The honorable Bill Ellis and Christina Schlusemeyer judged as Panel One, and Scott...

Jack Hardin Towell and New York (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, AB, Canada - Jack Hardin Towell didn’t plan to even compete in the McDaniel & Associates Cup 1.45m, but when his barn manager Chris Howard entered New York and told him he was first in the ring, he gave it a go. A good go, in fact, as he was the first clear in round one and the first to return in the jump-off. They set down an unbeatable time of 40.80 seconds to win a wire-to-wire victory. Coming close behind in...